35-Year-Old Woman Tasered In Front Of Customers At Best Buy

WFTV
Dec. 22, 2007

Video HereDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- In front of a crowd of customers, a Volusia County woman was shocked by a taser while she was trying to shop. The 35-year-old yoga instructor got so loud and irate inside a busy Daytona Beach store, a police officer tasered her.

The surveillance video from inside the Daytona Beach Best Buy has the American Civil Liberties Union up in arms. The police officer said she used the taser to calm the irate and upset woman down.

Daytona Beach's police chief is defending his officer's actions. Chief Michael Chitwood said his officer acted appropriately when she tased an allegedly unruly customer at the Best Buy. The entire incident was caught on store surveillance.

In the video, 35-year-old Elizabeth Beeland is visible as she allegedly causes a commotion at the entrance to the store after being confronted about the use of a suspect credit card that was actually her's. The video shows her waving her arms and appearing upset.

As Beeland turns away, Officer Claudia Wright confronts her and then deploys her taser, striking Beeland in the abdomen.

"The woman is repeatedly told to cease and desist her conduct and activities. As the officer is trying to approach her, you can see her throw her hands up and her arms flailing. The taser is designed for incidents like that," Chitwood said.

Neither Beeland nor her attorney spoke to Channel 9 about the incident, but the officer said Beeland was "verbally profane, abusive, loud and irate." Beeland was booked into the Volusia County jail.

It was the first time a Daytona Beach officer has used a taser without actual physical confrontation or resistance.

"If the officer goes hands on and takes her down and she breaks her nose or breaks her jaw or knocks her teeth out of her mouth, well then it's, 'How come you didn't use the taser?'" Chitwood said.

Beeland still faces the charges related to the incident, including disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.